Lyme Disease warning for walkers and campers

Oct 7 2009 by Helen Rae, The Journal

People need to be aware

MOTHER Ellie Marshall suffers from Lyme disease.

In 2002, the 48-year-old (pictured above) started suffering from a catalogue of horrendous symptoms, including excruciating chest pains, palpitations, dizziness, extreme fatigue and severe headaches.

But it was only at the beginning of last year that she was finally diagnosed with Lyme Disease after a private specialist ran a blood test.

Mrs Marshall, of Hexham, Northumberland, said: "I remember having a bite on my arm and I thought nothing of it until a few weeks later when I started to feel really weird. But I didn’t know anything about Lyme Disease back then.

"It does not surprise me at all that the number of cases of the illness is increasing. I actually think there will be many more cases than what has been recorded. People need to be aware of how serious a condition Lyme disease can be and ensure they protect themselves from getting bitten by a tick."